Knitted cap construction



Nov. 29, 1966 v 7 R. D. SCHUESSLER KNI TTED CAP CONSTRUCTION Filed May 7. 1965 INVENTOR: Ric HAR D D. SCHUESSLER 9 mmavmaza f w United States Patent 3,287,737 KNITTED CAP CONSTRUCTION Richard' D. Schuessler, 800 Redbud Lane, Wilmette, Ill. Filed May 7, 1965, Ser. No. 453,941 5 Claims. (Cl. 2206) This invention relates to the construction of a knitted cap intended to be worn by children and adults.

A type of knitted cap commonly'referred to as a stocking cap has-been marketed for many years. Such acap is of elongated, tubular shape, somewhat resembling a knitted stocking, and is generally longer than necessary to-cover the crown of a wearers head. The appeal for the stocking cap has been primarily aesthetic, the characteristic long dangling tail of such a cap having fad appeal, particularly for children, rather than any real utilitarian value. Some utility exists, to the extent that the cap, being greatly oversized in length, may be pulled downwardly about the ears and forehead in cold weather without re sistance because of lack of cap material, or to the extent that the open end portion of the cap may be folded one or moretimes to provide a thickened cuff without running out of material for covering the crown of the head, but the popularity of the stocking cap has nevertheless been based largely on style rather than any functional advantages in the dangling tail portion thereof.

In view of other more recently introduced cap constructions having knitted face masks which may be lowered into face-covering positions, a conventional stocking cap actually provides only a relatively limited degree of cold weather protection for a wearer. The open end portion may be doubled over to form a' thickened cuff which increases the warmth and protection about the forehead, ears, and crown of a wearers head, but the cap cannot be shifted into a position to protect the wearers face, especially the areas of his mouth, chin and nose, without at the same time blocking his vision. Stocking caps have been designed with eye openings in the cuff portion so that the cap may be pulled downwardly to completely cover the wearers head while at the same time permitting limited vision through the paired openings, but such a construction is generally unsatisfactory because of the difficulty in properly adjusting and maintaining the eye openings in alignment with the wearers eyes, and because of the disadvantage in having such openings in the crown area of the cap when the cap is worn in' the more usual raised position.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a knitted cap of the stocking type which'overcomes the aforementioned defects anddisadvantages of prior stocking cap constructions. Specifically, itis an object to provide a stocking cap which may be worn in the customary manner, with the elongated rear portion dangling behind a wearers head, and which may, when adverse weather conditions require it, be adjusted to provide an integral face mask for protecting-the lower portion of'a wearer s face-without in any way blockingor impairing his vision. Another object is to, provide a stocking cap in which the integral mask portion, formed of atileast double thickness of knitted material, may be readily adjusted to fitiawide range of head sizes and-may be easily and quickly adjustedto extend over the cheeks, chin and mouth and, if desired, be also stretched upwardly to protect the wearers nose. A still further object isto provide an'improved'stocking cap construction which has greatly increasedutility in protecting a wearers head-and face without, atthe same time, sacrificing any of the styling advantages ofa conventional stocking cap.

Other objects will appear from the specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating the stocking cap of the present invention as it is worn, the view ice showing primarily the cap as it is fitted over the left portion of'a wearers head and face;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective'view similar to FIGURE 1 but illustrating the fitting of the cap about the right portion of a wearers head and face;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the cap in unstretched condition;

FIGURE 4 is a cross, sectional view taken. along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectionalview taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

The cap illustrated in the drawings comprises an'elongated tubular conical body 10 formed of a porous material capable of stretching in two directions; that is, in directions at right angles to each other. A knitted material of wool or synthetic fibers has been foundparticularly effective since the knitted construction is generally porous and permits the cap body to be stretched both longitudinally and transversely.

When viewed in unstretched condition, as illustrated in FIGURE" 3, the cap tapers gradually and uniformly from its open lower end 11 to its upper closed end 12. The cap body may be knitted in one piece without a longitudinal seam or, as illustrated in the drawings, may be knitted in fiat condition and then stitched together along a longitudinal line of stitching 13. At its upper closed end, the cap body is provided with a ball and tassel 14 which, in the illustration given, is spaced slightly. from the upper end of the cap body by a connecting cord 15.

The. cap is composed of three integral longitudinallyoriented sections: a lower open end section 10a, an elongated intermediate section 10b, and a closed upper end section 10c equipped with tassel ball 14 and cord 15. In normal wear of the cap, only the lower open end section 10a is fitted upon the wearers head. Because of the highly stretchable nature of the cap, the open lower end 11 (when the cap is in an unstretched state) is substantially smaller than a wearers head'but, when the cap is worn, the lower end portion 10a stretchesoutwardly, to assume the general confi'guration indicated by broken line 16 (FIGURE 3). To provide increased warmth for the wearer, as well as t'oprovid a smooth andcomfortable finish for the cap about its open lower end 11, lower section 10a is preferably composed of a double thickness of fabric formed by turning the bottom ofthe original blank upwardly and'inwardly and securing its free edge to the inside of the cap body by a line of stitching 17. It will be observed that the double thickness of fabric extends the full length of lower head covering section 10a, the length of section 10a being in turn determined by the length necessary to reach the top of a wearers crown when the cap is worn on a head of average dimensions for the particular. market for which the cap is intended (i.e., children or adults) and'with the edge of the cap pulled downwardly to cover the wearers ears. Inother words, if the cap terminated attheupper limits of the lower'section 10a, the material in section 10a would nevertheless be sufficient to completely. cover the crown, foreheadand ears of an average wearer. In. general, it has-been found that the length of the lower section 10a should be approximately 6'7 inches when the cap body is in an unstretched state, although slightly greater or shorter longitudinal dimensions may be provided where the'cap is to be worn by those having relatively large (adult) or small (young children) head sizes.

The intermediate section 10b should be approximately three times the length of the head covering section 1021. Such a length is necessary to provide adequate covering for thelower face portion of a wearer, as indicated in FIGURES l and. 2, and as will be described'in greater detail hereinafter. Where the length of'the' head covering section 10a is 6-7 inches, the length of the interme- -diate section will therefore fall within the range of approximately 18-21 inches.

On one side of the lower head covering section a, and spaced above the open lower end 11 thereof, is a connector 18 in the form of a loop or ring secured to the outer surface of the cap. The loop or ring is free to pivot about its point of connection and is preferably formed of a stretchable yarn or fabric, although other materials such as metal, plastic or leather might be used.

The internal diameter of loop 18 in a stretched condition is just large enough to receive tassel ball 14, at least when the ball, normally formed of yarn, is compressed. The loop is also just large enough to accommodate (by stretching) the upper tapered end portion of the cap body and, therefore, to fit snugly about upper section 100. Because of its stretchability or elasticity, and because of the surface roughness of the yarn from which the loop is made, the loop tends to cling to the material of section 10c and thereby frictionally maintain the sections 10b and 100 in any selected positions of adjustment.

Preferably, loop 18 is spaced above the lower edge of the cap a distance approximately the same as the length of the conical cap between the lower limits of section 100 and the closed tip 12 of the cap body. Therefore, as shown in FIGURE 2, when the cap is worn and the intermediate section 10b is stretched across the lower portion of a wearers face, section 100 overlies the lower portion of section 10a between ring 18 and the lower edge 11 of the cap.

Normally, the cap will be worn as any other stocking cap with intermediate section 10b and end section 100 dangling behind the wearer. However, should weather conditions require further protection, the wearer, without removing the cap from his head, may urge tassel ball 14 through loop 18, the cap being worn so that the loop is positioned on one side of the wearers head in the vicinity of, or directly below, the ear. The tassel ball acts as a restraining device for preventing unintentional release of end portion 10c from loop 18. If the parts are dimensioned as indicated, the ball and loop will cooperate to hold the intermediate section 10b in position across the wearers lower face. Considerable adjustment is possible, however, and, if desired, the mask may be pulled even more tightly across the face by drawing tassel 14 downwardly to urge the tapered conical portion of section 100 into the loop. It has been found that the frictional resistance between the upper section 10c of the cap and the inner surface of loop 18 will tend to maintain the stretched face mask formed by intermediate section 10b in its position of adjustment across a wearers face.

FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate the mask in a lowered position of adjustment, covering the chin, cheeks, and mouth of the wearer. Since the knitted material of which the cap is formed is stretchable in different directions, and since the connection between end section 100 and loop 18 is adjustable, the mask may be readily adjusted to cover the nose and upper cheek portions of the wearer should such additional covering be desired.

Since the intermediate section 10b is in flattened condition When it is wrapped around the face and used as a mask, the mask actually provides a double thickness of material to protect the wearers lower face portion. Of course, if the cap as a whole is formed of double thickness, rather than just the lower section 10a, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, then the mask provided by intermediate section 10b will give even greater protection because of its quadruple thickness.

While in the foregoing I have disclosed an embodiment of the invention in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of these details may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cap comprising an elongated tubular conical body of stretchable porous knitted material having an open end section adapted to be fitted upon a wearers head, said body also having a gradually tapered intermediate section extending from said open end section and having a length approximately three times the length of said open end section, and a closed end section merging with said intermediate section, said open end section being provided with external fastening means on one side thereof, said fastening means having an opening therethrough dimensioned to receive and frictionally engage said closed end section, said closed end section being foldable about another side of said open end section opposite from said one side thereof and being slidable through the opening of said fastening means on said one side of said open end section, said closed end section being frictionally engageable with said fastening means to restrain retraction of said closed end section from said opening and to hold said intermediate section in a position wherein said intermediate section is adapted to extend across and protect the lower portion of a wearers face.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said fastening means comprises a closed loop secured to said open end section at a point spaced from the open end thereof, said closed end section including a tassel ball having a dimension capable of being urged through said loop.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said loop is formed of stretchable and elastic material, said loop when in unstretched condition having an internal diameter smaller than the diameter of said tassel ball.

4. A stocking cap comprising an elongated tubular conical body of knitted material and being capable of stretching both longitudinally and transversely, said body having a lower open end section adapted to be fitted over a wearers head and having a length suflicient to completely cover the crown and ears of a wearer, a gradually tapered intermediate section formed integrally with said open end section and having a length approximately three times the length of said open end section, and a closed end section formed integrally with said intermediate section and equipped at its end with a compressible tassel ball, said open end section being provided externally with fastening means secured at a point spaced from the lower open end of the cap body and adapted to be positioned in the vicinity of a wearers ear when the cap is worn, said fastening means being provided with an opening therethrough for slidably receiving said closed end section of said cap body, the knitted material of said closed end section being frictionally engageable with said fastening means within said opening to hold said closed end section in selected positions of adjustment with said intermediate section being disposed in protective positions extending across the lower portion of a wearers face.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which said fastening means comprises a stretchable closed loop secured to said lower section of said cap body adjacent to open end thereof, said loop when in a stretched condition having an internal diameter large enough to receive the tassel ball of said cap and when in an unstretched condition being frictionally engageable with the closed end section of said cap to hold said intermediate section in a selected position of adjustment across the lower face portion of a wearer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS .Gianola 2205 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CAP COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR CONICAL BODY OF STRETCHABLE POROUS KNITTED MATERIAH HAVING AN OPEN END SECTION ADAPTED TO BE FITTED UPON A WEARER''S HEAD, SAID BODY ALSO HAVING A GRADUALLY TAPERED INTERMEDIATE SECTION EXTENDING FROM SAID OPEN END SECTION AND HAVING A LENGTH APPROXIMATELY THREE TIMES THE LENGTH OF SAID OPEN END SECTION, AND A CLOSED END SECTION MERGING WITH SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION, SAID OPEN END SECTION BEING PROVIDED WITH EXTERNAL FASTENING MEANS ON ONE SIDE THEREOF, SAID FASTENING MEANS HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE SAID CLOSED END SECTION, SAID CLOSED END SECTION BEING FOLDABLE ABOUT ANOTHER SIDE OF SAID OPEN END SECTION OPPOSITE FROM SAID ONE SIDE THEREOF AND BEING SLIDABLE THROUGH THE OPENING OF SAID FASTENING MEANS ON SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID OPEN END SECTION, SAID CLOSED END SECTION BEING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FASTENING MEANS TO RESTRAIN RETRACTION OF SAID CLOSED END SECTION FROM SAID OPENING AND TO HOLD SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION IN A POSITION WHEREIN SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION IS ADAPTED TO EXTEND ACROSS AND PROTECT THE LOWER PORTION OF A WEARER''S FACE. 